The Prince and His Pauper
by SimplyAbstract
Summary: He's a monster, or at least that's what everyone's ever called him. But who knew saving one's life could alter your own?
1. Chapter 1

_"Have you come to kill me?"_

 _The young child's gaze drew up towards the male who sat, clothed in white. The fair delicate features of his face thin against the poor, brittle bone. The sickening complexion of his skin a rather sickly gray. And yet despite the man's ghastly appearance, the child couldn't help but notice the way those dark long lashes swept across his cheek, the dull pink of his lip quivering ever so slightly. With each ragged breathe, his chest rose slowly, and with an exhausted sigh the thin arch of his brows drew together as a cough escaped those chapped lips. But instead of running, of shying away from the male, the boy crept close, perplexed by the dreadful sight that sat before him._

 _"Kill you?" A faint smile graced the male's lips as he listened to the boy, at the way his voice seemed to rise and fall with each delicate breathe. The blues of his eyes widening, seemingly vast like the ocean. And with a slight tilt of the head, he asked, "Why would I kill you?"_

 _"Why?" His gaze drifted up towards the ceiling as he thought, the nibble tips of his fingers twitching rather anxiously. And with another sigh, he slowly drew his attention back towards his young companion who sat, looking to him with that same bewildered expression, "I've done a terrible thing, haven't I? And surely, this is my punishment. But who knew His angels were so young, and yet still so beautiful."_

 _The child's voice rose considerably as he began to laugh, the sweet sound of innocence filling the room. And when he had finally calmed himself, the boy simply shook his head. The short blonde locks of his hair bouncing against the childlike features of his face, "I'm no angel."_

 _"My, then what are you?"_

 _"A monster."_

 _For the first time the older male seemed to truly gaze upon his friend, at the way those short golden strands of hair seemed to shimmer as the sun's gentle rays cascaded in through an open window. The soft gentle blues of his eyes wide and curious as he took everything in. And against those round cheeks sat thin black lines which resembled whiskers, seeming to move along with every expression that he made, "You, a monster?" He chuckled quietly as he slowly extended his arm out towards the boy, his fingers gently lifting his chin as their eyes met once more, "You remind me of a prince, a young prince. And maybe I'll be the monster. It's only fair, right?"_

 _"No." The blonde shook his head once more, his bottom lip protruding slightly as he began to pout, "You're too pretty to be a monster."_

 _"To pretty?" His voice came in a hushed whisper as he thought this over, and though his expression grew rather worrisome he continued to smile at the boy, "No My Prince. This is the façade of a man facing his final days with the shred of dignity he has left and yet, has death always been so bittersweet?"_

 _"Death?" He sat still for a moment, his eyes drawn towards the floor as he thought this over, the gears turning slowly as he came upon a brilliant idea, and with a childlike grin he grasped the male's cold fingers within his own, squeezing it gently within his palm, "You're the first person whose ever believed in me yaknow. You can't just die now."_

 _"But my dear boy, that's how it is. Fate's always been so cruel."_

 _The two gazed upon each other for a moment, and the blonde again looked to the male, at the way his chest rose compulsively, as if each rhythmic beating of the heart pounded against his chest. And yet, the boy found himself growing lost within the steady flow of blood as it ran against his veins, the muscle contracting against itself as it forcefully beat against the arteries, as if itself were aching of some incurable disease. And, when he closed his eyes, the child turned his focus to the constant rhythm of his own heart, at the sudden energy that ran to his fingertips, uniting the two together. Building static as it emitted a spark, and when the energy had all but left him, the prince slowly drew open his eyes, and focused on the male who sat rather confused._

 _The aching in his chest had suddenly ceased, and his breathing once so ragged had now labored. And when he looked once more to his own sickening flesh, his brows rose considerably as a tan complexion began to color his skin, "But h-how?" When he returned his attention back towards the boy, there was a smile on that face, one that filled the male with a certain content, a sense of fulfillment._

 _"I'm a monster remember?" He chuckled at this, turning from the male's bedside as he readied himself to leave, but before taking his departure out into the world, he turned once more and found himself smiling up at the man, "You're not a monster yaknow. And I doubt you'll ever be. Whatever wrong you've done, whatever punishment you think you deserve; I forgive you. Besides, your way to pretty to ever be considered a monster."_

 _After he had gone, the male couldn't help but look to the entryway from whence he came. Thinking back to that boy, that child who had forgiven him, despite the pain he had inflicted and the lives taken. Despite that he had been given a second chance, an escape from life, by a child nonetheless. And whether he cared to admit or not, his life had been altered for the better, or perhaps, the worst._

 _"My prince." His voice rose softly among the silence as he pulled the IVs from his skin, and tossed the blankets from his bed, hoisting himself up in one go. And though he was unsure of where to go, the male flung open the window and placed the soles of his feet against its frame, balancing his weight upon the metal as he glanced out towards the town, and its vast amount of people. Some picketing signs, others shouting amongst the crowd. And from afar he could vaguely see those soft golden strands gleaming in the light._

 _"There he is!" Someone shouldered passed him as he shoved through the crowd, careful to avoid one's gaze, and as a woman screamed he looked towards the building once more as the people seemed to grow more rambunctious. Some pointing towards a window, at the raven haired male who crotched atop the sill, and with a gasp he watched as the male lurched forward, jumping from the room before disappearing altogether._

 _His daring escape._


	2. Chapter 2

_He sat atop the old worn out shingles of the academy building, his gaze searching the horizon as the sun began to set, its light forever fleeting as it cast its last shadow, before veiling itself from the world, leaving in its presence a certain sense of emptiness so profound that it plunged them into darkness. And yet, as he sat shrouded by twilight he noticed a luminous light, shimmering against dusk. It's crescent like shape a hue of soft white as he basked within those gentle rays. And the male couldn't help but peer up at the moon as her vast beauty swept across his whole world._

 _Slowly, he extended his arm out towards the heavenly aurora, and curled his fingers, as if grasping for her hand and with a strained smile, he looked to her once more. Those sorrowful blue eyes glistening within the moonlight, "Oh Monster, what have you done?"_

 _He sat still for a moment, the golden strands of his hair gleaming against her as his knees drew up towards his chest, and with a soft sight he wrapped his arms around himself, chin resting atop his knees. Since then he thought of this often, of how he had allowed such a man to escape from this place, despite the crimes committed, the misery brought. And yet, when he thought back to that moment, he thought of the way the male gazed upon him, not as a child but a normal boy, curious and eager to learn about the world. Of those chilly brown eyes that simply watched him, of the way those lengthy dark lashes swept across those pale cheeks, and that smile of his which seemed so genuine, how it curled softly at the corner, and spread across his lips. And then to those final minutes, where their gaze met once more before his stunning disappearance._

 _"Where have you gone?"_

 _His voice rose softly against the tree tops as it drifted with the wind, the sweet sound acting as a melody as the town below drifted off into a blissful slumber. The stars twinkling from above as they mindfully watched the land below._

 _Often he sat like this, engrossed in the mere thought of him, of the way that faint smirk seemed to suppress a solemn sense of deceit. And once more, he found himself drawn back to those weary eyes that held a heavy burden, a dreadful remorse. Was this man really behind the gruesome slaughter of an entire clan?_

 _"Itachi…" He elongated each word, as if drawing it out. There was a stillness to it as his name carried onto the wind, and yet it tormented the boy, and each night since he found himself asking why, how could he have done it?_

 _"No matter how much I try, I just can't understand." The gentle ease of his voice quievered oh so slightly as he lingered in her luminescence, the soft turquoise of his gaze radiating against hers, "They may have been cruel, and unjust; in dignified and perhaps inhumane, but what lead you to kill? To harm these people, our allies? How could you stain the soil on which we built our lives, our homes? Are you a friend, or a foe; a monster, or a mere weasel? How could I simply place my faith unto someone whose absence plays a constant reminder to what I've done. And how can you dare call me a Prince, when I'm nothing more than a monster?" The glimmer of her presence seemed to dampen as he sighed once more, and as his gaze cast downwards towards the shingles that lie below, he began once more. His voice but a bare whisper, "And what of your brother? How am I to face such a boy, fully aware of the burden that I have cast upon him? Of the way those bitter eyes dart towards me, as if piercing thin fine needles into my flesh; is that not what I deserve? Perhaps my passing will ease his soul, if only for a fleeting moment. Is it too much to ask for life, or would it be seen as egotistic to wish for an end?" He was still for a few moments more, and though he could hardly recall the way his breathing slowed, or how his lashes came to rest upon his cheek, he found himself succumbing to a certain darkness as grogginess set in. He dreamt of that hospital room, and of that once so charming male who welcomed him in with a weary gaze._

 _The male slouched despite his slender frame, thumbs hooked into the linings of his pockets as the wind began to press against his lean figure, causing him to shiver. With an incoherent mutter, the boy suddenly glared up towards the moon, as if to blame her for all his faults when he caught something resting against a rooftop, its silhouette casting an evening's shadow against those old shingles as it began to stir about restlessly, basking in her embrace. Intrigued, he found it in himself to scale the building and once high up his gaze fell to the blonde, who dazzled in the moonlight. His mouth slightly ajar as he softly snored, nose twitching ever so gently, and those golden strands of his radiating within her luminescence. He towered over the figure, his gaze a curious one as the boy began to stir, yawning softly between the two._

 _And when he finally came to, a certain sense of drowsiness obscured his vision and in an attempt to wake himself he rubbed at his eyes, blinking once more as his gaze focused upon the silhouette that draped over his resting figure, it's frame defined within the moonlight as he came to notice that raven like hair accenting his features, and those same brown eyes wary as they gazed upon the boy._

 _His voice had suddenly grown weak, and in a struggle to regain his composure a strangled murmur slipped through those tender lips, "…Monster?"_

 _"What?" The male's voice was rough and ragged, as if he were spiteful of the boy for his mere existence, "Do I look like a monster to you?" His gaze left the blonde's as he sat himself upon the roof, legs crossed from beneath him as he glanced up towards the night skies, lips pursed into that of a rigid line, "If anything the monster here is you."_

 _Silence loomed over the two as they sat alongside the other, and when the dark haired male hesitantly snuck a peek, he found himself distraught by the sudden sense of ambiguity that clouded those once vast and curious eyes._

 _"Hey," The taller male turned now, to acknowledge the blonde who spoke without much of a thought, his gaze fixated upon something before him, "If given the chance, would you kill me? Even if I demanded it of you?"_

 _Silence resumed as the male began to contemplate, his fingers twitching absently with anticipation, or was it rather a certain uneasiness that suddenly pumped through his veins, causing him to shiver once more. As the weight carried on, the blonde spoke again, his tone more chilling then the last, "Sasuke," He called, "Will you kill me?"_

 _"Naruto." For the first time, the blonde seemed to look towards the Uchiha as their eyes met, and with an audible sigh, the male continued, his gaze narrowing upon the boy, "Don't be such an idiot. Your soul may weigh heavily on that ill conscious of yours, but we both know that your heart stands strong, and it beats; if you'll only listen. It's aggravating for someone so feeble to ask another for death, despite what you've done. And I'm not going to kill you, and I'm not going to hate you, but just watching you live out this sorry excuse for a life is reward enough, for the trouble you've brought."_

 _"So then, what shall I do? Even this life isn't mine, it's never belonged to me. What should I do?"_

 _An irritable groan escaped from the male's throat as he looked towards the moon, at her serene presence, "Make it yours. You think these people give a fuck what happens to you, what you do? The only person you should be considered about is sitting right in front of you. You owe me a life Naruto, whether you realize it or not, and it's about time you've paid it."_

 _"W-what?"_

 _"Become better than me." As he spoke, Naruto noticed the way his lips seemed to curl into that of a twisted grin, those eyes which had once seemed so dull and full of hate, now brimming with a sense of certainty, "And we'll slay that demon together. That's the only way to repay the debt you owe me."_

 _The blonde's gaze widened as he sat, astonished by the words, "K-kill?" He asked, his head shaking in disbelief, "Only a monster k-_

 _"Kills?" The Uchiha snickered, as if this were all to his amusement, "Well I never said I was an angel, now did I?"_


End file.
